Studies show students lack basic history knowledge

Wars, dates, inventions and remarkable people have always been a part of history curriculum.

Recently though, tests have shown that historical information presented to students may not be absorbed as readily as teachers and parents had hoped.

According to an article published in the Globe Correspondent in July 2005, "Students lagging in American History", most fourth-graders cannot recognize the beginning passage of the Declaration of Independence.

The same survey said most high school seniors know nothing about the checks and balances system utilized by the three branches of the U.S. Government.

It is test results such as these, the Globe article said, that have led to the conclusion that students today are history deficient.

"Very few people in our society know enough about history," said Wendy Gordon, associate professor and history department chairperson of Plattsburgh State University College.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress done in 2002, six out of 10 high school seniors lack a basic knowledge of American history and only 57 percent of fourth-graders knew the issue of slavery between the North and South was a major cause for the U.S. Civil War.

According to an article by Michael Fletcher published in the May 2002 Washington Post, "Students' history knowledge lacking, test finds", one of the biggest fears arising from these statistics is that students, particularly high school seniors, are reaching voting age.

Many people question how a student without even a basic knowledge of history can make levelheaded and rational decisions for our country.

"An understanding of how society has changed to get us to where we are today is something that is learned through history," Gordon said.

"In order to change the future, students need to understand history and how it has changed us."

PSUC professors are not the only ones who are worried. Many students, such as PSUC freshman Sarah Preston, feel that history is necessary to everyday life.

"History is the key to the past," Preston said. "Since history repeats itself, it's important to know what happened before so that we don't make the same mistakes today."

The American History Achievement Act was developed in 2004 to combat the statistics revealed through the testing.

The American History Achievement Act, which aims to strengthen the understanding of U.S. history, will increase the amount of funding given for improved history testing.

This testing will be used to determine which high schools perform well in the subject of history and which high schools perform poorly.

It is not necessarily the amount of information taught that is important, though.

"We do not necessarily need more coverage in history," PSUC Assistant History Professor Gary Kroll said. "We need a more sophisticated understanding of why history matters."

Other lifestyle changes can be made to increase historical knowledge as well.

"Start by lobbying Congress to jettison an American competitive initiative based solely on excellence in math and science," Kroll said. "Then lobby Congress for an American cooperative initiative based on excellence in English and history, as well as math and science.

"Then cancel your cable and cell phone subscriptions, keep your Facebook time down to 30 minutes a day, sell your car, cut your hours working part-time, and then start reading books again - any book will do. Oh, and start growing your own wheat."